Draft attachment for traction-engines.



o. & J. HILDBBRAND. DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

APPLIOATIGN-IILED JAN. 12, 1910.

Patented May 30, 1911.

2 SHEBTSr-SHEBT 1.

N N NW mmvtow "l/9W" doom WWW C. & J. HILDEBRAND. DRAFT ATTAGHMENT FORTRACTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1910.

Patented May 30, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

Ema/who'd G/Wzes b'ltki'a zd LTO/Uv kiwi-Q1105 THE NORRIS PETERS co,wnsmnaran, o. c.

%TA.TE FATENT @FFTCE.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTION-ENGINES.

Application filed January 12, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES HILDE- BRAND and JOHN HILDEBRAND, citizensof the United States, both residing at Ellinwood, in the county ofBarton and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Draft Attachments for Traction-Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements intraction engines and relates particularly to draft devices therefordesigned for use in propelling the traction engine over soft soil or thelike where it would be otherwise impossible to travel and also for usein driving a separator or the like along the road under similarconditions.

The invention has for its primary object an improved draft apparatus ofthis character which will be simple, durable and eflicient inconstruction, and easily controlled by the engineer or operator of thetraction engine.

with these and other objects in View as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements, and combinations of the parts that we shall hereinafterfully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a traction engine embodyingthe improve ments of our invention; Fig. 2 is a trans verse sectionalview thereof, showing the improvements in front elevation; and Fig. 3 isa detail sectional View showing a portion of the winding drum and itsclutch gear.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and accompanying drawings by the same reference numerals.

The framework for supporting the moving parts of our improved draftappliance or attachment may be of any desired construct-ion and embodiesvertically disposed angle iron bars 1 secured at their upper ends to theopposite side of the boiler of the traction engine and extendingdownwardly in front of the furnace thereof, said bars being connected attheir lower ends to similar bars Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 537,703.

2 which extend forwardly from the front of the firebox, as shown. Theframework may also include forwardly and upwardly extending brace rods 8and a transversely extending brace rod 4, the latter being connected tothe bars 1 near the lower ends of the latter. Journaled in boxingssecured to the lower ends of the framework bars 1, or at the uncture ofthe bars with the horizontal framework bars 2, is a transverse windingshaft 5. A drum 6 is secured on said shaft, as shown. The shaft 5carries at one end a gear wheel 7 which is mounted loose thereon andadapted to be secured thereto by means of a clutch 8 carried by anysuitable form of shipper lever 9 extending up to the platform of thetraction engine where it may easily be manipulated by the operator. Thegear wheel 7 meshes with a spur pinion 10 secured on one end of an idlershaft 11 journaled in the framework, said shaft also carrying a gearwheel 12 which meshes with a driving pinion 13 secured on one end of atransversely extending crank shaft 14. The cranks of the shaft 14 arerespectively connected by means of pitmen 15 to the crossheads of thepiston rods, the pistons of said rods working in steam cylinders 16which are arranged side by side, extending forwardly and rearwardly andsuspended underneath the boiler in front of the fire box, by means ofhangers 17 as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

18 designates a steam supply pipe connected at one end to the cylinders16. The

Patented May 30, 1911.

steam supply pipe 18 is connected at its up:

per end to the steam dome 19 of the engine and is controlled in anydesired way as by a throttle 20. The exhaust pipe 21 leading from thecylinders 16 extends into the smoke stack 22.

A cable 23 winds upon the drum 6 and is preferably passed through theplatform and held in an inoperative position in any desired way.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the operation of our draft attachment will be apparent. Undernormal conditions, the cable will be wound up on the drum 6, and itsrelatively free end secured to the platform of the traction engine. Inthe practical use of the device, say for example, as the traction engineis drawing a separator along the road, should a soft stretch beencountered and the engine driver find that it is impossible for thetraction wheels to obtain the proper surface traction to draw theseparator over such stretch, he need only uncouple the traction enginefrom the draw bar of the separator and run the traction engine ahead apredetermined distance the clutch 8 being disengaged at this time andthe cable 28 unwound and secured to the separator. It will then only benecessary to throw in the clutch 8 and open the throttle 20 so as towind the cable 23 upon the drum 6 and draw the separator up to thetraction engine. If found necessary, the engineer may throw in the steamto the main cylinder of the traction engine so as to hold it stationarywhile it is being used as a draft device. Should it happen that theengine itself cannot pass over a soft stretch, it will be necessary forthe operator to merely uncouple the loose end of the cable 23 and unwindthe cable from the drum, the cable being run in front of the tractionengine the required distance and being secured to an anchor or anysufficiently stable object whereupon the clutch 8 is thrown in and thethrottle 20. opened so as to wind the cable upon the drum and assist themain engine cylinders in propelling the traction engine over the ground.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

The combination with a traction engine embodying a platform and rearground wheels, of hanger bars secured to the traction engine andextending downwardly therefrom in front of the platform and wheels, acrank shaft journaled in said hanger bars, auxiliary steam cylinderssuspended from the traction engine and arranged to drive said crankshaft, a drum shaft journaled in the lower ends of the hanger bars, adrum loosely mounted on said shaft, a gear wheel fixed to the shaft andarranged for clutch connection to the drum, an operative drivingconnection between said gear wheel and the crank shaft, and a cableadapted to wind on said drum, said cable being adapted to pass throughan opening formed in the platform with its free end secured above theplatform to hold the cable in its inoperative position.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT SHoUsE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

